Yesterday we left Peter in Joppa in the middle of God reprogramming him from a faulty view of the Law. We pick up the story in Acts 10:23 – 43.
Peter arrives at Cornelius’ home and finds not only Cornelius but his entire family and all of his closest friends. Peter shares that it is unlawful for him to be there – which by the way is what started me down this path. Cornelius shares that an angel directed him to send for Peter. Now the reprogramming is nearly done…
Peter is beginning to connect the dots. The unclean animals on the sheets that God told him to kill and eat. The directive to accompany men who made Peter, at least in his faulty understanding of the Law, unclean. Having arrived at a place at which he was sure he should not be. But he is confronted with the disturbing reality that God had both directed Cornelius to call him and also Peter to come.
Again note the gentleness of God’s dealing with these men. Rather than a strong rebuke or a confrontation, He is leading them with direction starting with their personal worship. He has shown Peter that unclean is not permanent. He has reinforced his command to go to Cornelius’ home with Cornelius’ testimony of the encounter with the angel. The weight of the evidence that is building up that is counter to Peter’s world view is growing rapidly.
But God is not done. Not by a long shot.
Posts in this series:
Change Agent - Part 2
Change Agent - Part 1
Peter arrives at Cornelius’ home and finds not only Cornelius but his entire family and all of his closest friends. Peter shares that it is unlawful for him to be there – which by the way is what started me down this path. Cornelius shares that an angel directed him to send for Peter. Now the reprogramming is nearly done…
Peter is beginning to connect the dots. The unclean animals on the sheets that God told him to kill and eat. The directive to accompany men who made Peter, at least in his faulty understanding of the Law, unclean. Having arrived at a place at which he was sure he should not be. But he is confronted with the disturbing reality that God had both directed Cornelius to call him and also Peter to come.
Again note the gentleness of God’s dealing with these men. Rather than a strong rebuke or a confrontation, He is leading them with direction starting with their personal worship. He has shown Peter that unclean is not permanent. He has reinforced his command to go to Cornelius’ home with Cornelius’ testimony of the encounter with the angel. The weight of the evidence that is building up that is counter to Peter’s world view is growing rapidly.
But God is not done. Not by a long shot.
Posts in this series:
Change Agent - Part 2
Change Agent - Part 1
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